


let yourself be light

by channie_days (o_____o)



Series: taking you home [2]
Category: Stray Kids (Band)
Genre: Cat/Human Hybrids, Christmas Fluff, Christmas Presents, Gen, Soft Bang Chan, Soft Lee Minho | Lee Know, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-25
Updated: 2020-12-25
Packaged: 2021-03-10 18:27:45
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,474
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28321623
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/o_____o/pseuds/channie_days
Summary: A future fic set a little more than a year after the beginning of 'someone who loves you'.Chan has a special gift for Minho on their first real Christmas the year after he was adopted.
Relationships: Bang Chan & Lee Minho | Lee Know
Series: taking you home [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2074152
Comments: 11
Kudos: 85





	let yourself be light

**Author's Note:**

> Ho ho ho, happy Christmas to those who celebrate and Happy Winter season to those who don't. I hope at least that everyone is able to get some rest and take a break before the end of this tumultuous year.
> 
> I wanted to write something sweet for Christmas, and decided to do a little future fic for the 'someone who loves you' verse. Like the summary says, this takes place a little over a year after Minho adopted Chan.
> 
> I hope you enjoy!!

Minho hummed lightly to himself as he finished putting a final rinsed glass into the dishwasher before turning it on to let it run. It was just after 11:30 am on Christmas morning and he was enjoying a quiet reprieve after the excitement of last night and just a few hours earlier.

After staying up all night watching movies, he and his cats had all fallen asleep in the living room around 4 am, only to be woken up a few hours later by excitable hybrids (specifically Hyunjin and Jisung) ready to open gifts. Minho could hardly deny them anything and they’d all sat around the tree and opened their presents before going to the kitchen and making breakfast together. It was chaotic, and messy having eight people all trying to do the work at once, but the food was all the more delicious knowing they’d made it together. After eating, Minho had ushered them out into the living room where he left them to enjoy their presents while he cleaned the kitchen. The last time he’d checked on them, they’d all fallen back asleep in a pile near the tree, presents scattered around the room.

Minho couldn’t help but smile as he picked up his lukewarm mug of coffee and put it in the microwave to warm it up. It had been a good Christmas, especially since they hadn’t gotten a chance to go all out last year. Chan had just joined them about a month and a half prior to the season, and had been struggling quite badly with his anxiety, which only got worse around the holiday season. Such a family-focused holiday had nearly set Chan back to the beginning after weeks spent coaxing him out of his shell. It was Changbin and Seungmin who had quietly suggested that maybe they ought to treat the holiday like any normal day, and everyone else had agreed. Even without mentioning it directly, Minho could tell Chan was grateful.

But since then, Chan had made great progress with trusting them all and feeling free to be himself. It had been such a privilege to see him blossom over the past year, watching him turn from shy and anxious to jubilant and affectionate. It was hard to believe that the Chan they now knew was even the same hybrid that had come into their lives last year. Chan was loud, cheerful and approachable. He was always affectionate, loving to wrap himself around who ever came near, including Minho, and refused to sleep unless he was curled around at least one other hybrid.

Part of Minho wished he could go back and tell his past self that everything would be okay. He remembered those nights, lying awake staring at the ceiling and wondering if he was doing more harm than good.

But he hadn’t given up, none of them had, and Chan most of all.

Minho retrieved his re-warmed coffee from the microwave and leaned back agains the counter, sipping at the hot drink. Despite the ups and downs, it had been a good year.

“Minho?”

A quiet voice caused him to look up and he raised his eyebrows in surprise as he saw Chan padding into the kitchen. The hybrid was wearing an oversized green Christmas sweater that fell down to his mid-thighs and bright red and white sleeping shorts. His hair was mussed and his eyes still heavy with tiredness.

“Channie? Is everything okay?” Minho asked gently, letting a small, reassuring smile cross his lips. “Do you need anything?”

Chan shook his head adorably, his tail twitching slightly behind him. It was only when Chan held up his hands to his chest, that Minho noticed he was holding a wrapped gift in his hands. Minho was surprised to see something had escaped being a casualty when the others had descended on the presents earlier that morning.

“Here,” Chan said softly, approaching with the present held out in both hands. “Merry Christmas.”

Minho didn’t notice his hands were trembling until he went to put down his mug and nearly spilled the remaining coffee. He wiped his hands on the front of his robe, suddenly feeling very caught off guard. He took the package gingerly, glancing at Chan, whose cheeks were slightly flushed, before looking down at the rectangular shaped object in his hand.

“This is for me?” Minho asked, unable to keep the surprise out of his voice.

Chan rolled his eyes, his ears flicking back for just a second. He was clearly embarrassed. “Yes!”

Minho bit his lip as he carefully tore open the wrapping paper. As he opened it, he recognized he black cover of one of Chan’s sketchbooks. A medium-sized one that Chan had timidly asked for last February. Since then, Chan had gotten many sketchbooks and other art supplies, but Minho recognized this one as the very first. Brows knitted together, he opened the book and slowly flipped through the pages.

Drawings - he expected, but not _this_. There were sketches of the other hybrids - Seungmin and Changbin at the window, Felix mid-laugh, Jisung and Hyunjin tussling in the grass, Jeongin curled up on the couch. And countless more observational drawings of them in day to day life. Their faces in various states of sketchy impressions to fully rendered drawings. Scenes of them playing and cuddling and _enjoying_ _life._ It was as if Chan was observing and learning how to be happy just by watching the others and putting what he saw onto the page. Letting his frustrations with his own unhappiness be counteracted by recording theirs.

But as Minho turned the pages, he realized another figure, less defined began to appear between the other sketches.It only took a few small images before he realized he was looking at drawings of himself. The first few were sketches, mere lines and shadows on the page of himself standing in the kitchen with a mug, his back turned as he gazed out a window - unfinished and uncertain. And as he got closer to the end, the drawings of himself became more rendered, taking up just as much space as the drawings of the other hybrids. Drawings of himself at his work desk, on the computer or on the phone. Sitting out on the porch with coffee in his hands or reading a magazine. When he turned to the last page there was one drawing, a fully rendered drawing of his portrait. A soft, almost negligible smile on his lips. Just from how carefully rendered the shine in his eyes was, he could tell he must be looking at his boys, the most important things in his life. Chan had captured him perfectly, ever detailed rendered so careful and earnestly. He could feel the adoration in Chan’s careful craftingof the image and his heart swelled in his chest.

He didn’t even noticed the tears in his eyes until a single wet droplet fell onto the page. He hastily wiped at his eyes, afraid that he might ruin the drawing if the tears continued to fall.

“Is this oka—“

Minho didn’t even let Chan finish before he pulled the hybrid into his chest, wrapping his arms around him tightly. He sniffled wetly, reaching up to stroke behind Chan’s ears as the hybrid nuzzled into his neck. He wasn’t sure how long he stood there, just holding Chan tightly to him, hoping that the cat could feel just how thankful he was.

Eventually he pulled away, a hand still cupping the back of Chan’s neck as he looked into the hybrid’s large, dark eyes. Chan had been through so much, and had he chosen to never trust Minho, the human would have understood completely. Humans had treated him as disposable, made him unsure of himself and his worth. And yet somehow, he’d found it in him to care for Minho, to trust him.

“Chan, _Chan._ ” Minho said, his voice still shaking with emotion. “I love this, thank you so much. My perfect angel, I don’t deserve you.”

“Minhooo.” Chan whined a little, but still allowed himself to pulled into another tight hug. This time, as he nuzzled into Minho’s shirt, the cat murmured quietly. “Love you, thank you.”

And if Minho began to cry again, absolutely no one could blame him.

Not long after, Minho and Chan found themselves in the living room. The others were still passed out in their sleepy cuddle pile on the floor next to the Christmas tree. Minho had pulled Chan onto the couch with him, unwilling to let the hybrid out of his arms any time soon. Instead he reclined back, letting the cat rest on his chest, purring gently while Minho stroked his ears. The human well aware that just having Chan safe in his arms was the best gift he could have possibly gotten this year.

**Author's Note:**

> Aah, I really hope you liked it. Theres a lot of angst to work through in the main story, so I really wanted to post something nice for them.


End file.
